“We’ve been monitoring the population for months, and it’s been peaking consistently at approximately 20 players or less,” commented Shea.

“Those that own this game can continue to enjoy Multiplayer over LAN after that date; however our network services will be turned off at that time.

“We love you, Halo 2 PC, and you will live forever in our hearts.

“#singletear.”

Halo 2 arrived on PC two-and-a-half years after making its Xbox debut. Players have been able to enjoy PC multiplayer since May 2007, but unfortunately, this chapter is coming to an end.

Despite this, Microsoft does have some good news for Halo fans. The company revealed the Majestic Map Pack, which is due out in Feb, and two new specialisations to work through. Pioneer initiates an armour mod that allows players to rank up quickly, while Pathfinder speeds up your walking pace when holding turrets and also allows mounted guns to have a shorter cool down period.